"She hated having to go out without a man, hated being hissed at by men on the street, stared at with insolence...To be a woman out on her own was bad enough...When my mother went out shopping without a male driver or spouse to ac as guardian, grocers wouldn't attend to her..." (p.48)
This cultural aspect is essential to understanding this book and the way Somali culture operates. Coming from a non traditional family, society really picks on Ayaan's family whenever they leave the security of their little compound/village. Their society is very very patriarchal and it is always all about the men. However, the men have to be of a legitimate age, because her mother doesn't receive the greatest treatment even when her 10 year old son is with her. A man's status can easily be determined by how many wives he has, as well as the importance of male children. This type of society does not hold true here in the United States at all. Despite the average man's wage being higher than that of women and some individual sexists, there is gender equality. Women can leave their homes and be on their own without questioning their devotion to their faith or assuming things about their families. It is not thought of any differently whether a female is single, in a relationship or married, nor how many children with the importance on how many of each gender. Overall, I think it would be ridiculous to have to have a male escort any time I wanted to leave the house. That would drive me crazy! I really love my independence.
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